“We are watching one of the greatest uncle Toms on the globe in @stephenasmith,” Marbury responded to the pundit’s tweet on Twitter. Smith later responded to Marbury’s remarks on ESPN. “I will refrain from insulting Stephon Marbury,” Smith stated. “I will say that Stephon Marbury has been a source of contention with me since 2009, when we observed him eating Vaseline, literally on tape, as if it were a pile of cheeseburgers.”
Smith and several other members of the media have been critical of Irving, who missed the most of the NBA season due to his refusal to comply with New York’s vaccination mandate. Additionally, some accused the NBA player of being a distraction for the Nets, who were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs last week by the Boston Celtics.
Irving has been vocal against the media’s treatment of Black players. “I target puppet masters, not puppets,” he tweeted. “All puppets do is scurry around society, seeking fame and expressing their beliefs. What an existence! To these media conglomerates, my name is worth billions. My brothers and sisters who are involved in this situation understand exactly what I mean.”
